Area standards and why they matter
Our district is unique because New Westminster’s population density means 11 out of 12 of our school sites operate below provincial site area standards for schools of that population. We supplement our smaller school sites by placing them next to city parks to give children added play space. Unfortunately, this limits what the District can do if we want to build major school expansions or bring in additional portables to increase capacity.
![This table lists every school within the New Westminster Schools system and shows only one of the district's schools is situated at a location with surplus land area. The other schools - combined - suffer from a land shortfall of a little over 31 acres.](https://newwestschools.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/sd40_area_standards_2023.png)
Without building new schools by acquiring more land or air space parcels within existing developments, our district will be ill-equipped to accommodate rising student enrollment.
For more information
- Learn about what we mean when we say our schools are experiencing a “capacity crisis”
- Learn where our student population numbers are heading
- Learn more about current and future enrollment at New Westminster Schools
- Learn more about what we’re doing right now to address the capacity crisis and our long-term strategy